Can sanctions be lifted? Has that happened?

Sanctions can be lifted. One recent example is that two sanctioned Russian oligarchs were removed from the EU list. Often, individuals appeal in court to get sanctions overturned. In this case, the French and Slovak governments pushed to remove them from the list.

What is the SDN list?

The SDN list is the US sanctions list. You can access it publicly and check who is on it, from individuals to companies and regimes.

How does the oil price cap work?

The oil price cap limits export revenues without removing Russian oil from the global market. Companies cannot provide financial services, insurance, or shipping to vessels transporting oil above the limit. As of October 2026, the EU and UK cap is $44.10 per barrel, while the US maintains a $60 cap. Russia can still export oil using services outside the participating jurisdictions, subject to other applicable sanctions.

Are Russian athletes/celebrities sanctioned?

Not by being a Russian athlete or celebrity alone. However, there have been some cases where they have supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For example, musician SHAMAN is under Ukrainian and EU sanctions. This is because he has gone to the front lines to support soldiers and makes his events explicitly pro-government and pro-war. Ukraine has sanctioned individual athletes, and the EU and other countries have previously barred Russians and Belarusians from participating in sporting events, though some of these restrictions were lifted.

How is this page kept up to date?

When major events occur, such as new sanctions being applied to key individuals or companies, or lifted, this page will be updated. As the sanctions lists are extensive, some of those in the tables may change.

Category: World

Who’s on the Russia Sanctions List? People, Banks, and Companies Explained

Who is currently under sanctions against Russia, and why? From Kremlin officials and oligarchs to major banks and energy companies, this guide tracks key sanctions imposed by the EU, US, and UK.

Nov 06, 2026 16:54

12 min read

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Authors: Joseph Place
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Thousands of individuals and companies face sanctions over Russia’s war against Ukraine, but the restrictions differ across jurisdictions and change over time.

This guide brings together key sanctioned individuals, banks, companies, and industries, explaining who is sanctioned, by whom, and what restrictions apply. All lists are based on official government databases and announcements, as well as coverage by UNITED24 Media.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin awards Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia with the Presidential Prize for Contributions to Strengthening Russia's National Unity during an awards ceremony marking the National Unity Day at the Kremlin in Moscow on November 4, 2025. (Photo by Maxim Shipenkov via Getty Images)

Sanctions regimes at a glance

Who applies sanctions against Russia? The main sanctions regimes are the European Union, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom.

European Union sanctions are adopted by the European Council. The US system involves several agencies, such as the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) for export controls and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The UK has the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) responsible for most sanctions designations, and it also applies similar measures to those of the EU and the USA. The UK sanctions list has been the sole source for UK sanctions since January 28, 2026.

Regime	What it targets	Issuing body	Where to verify officially
EU	Sanctioned individuals, companies and banks; restricted goods and technologies; trade, energy and financial transactions.	Council of the European Union	EU Council · EU sanctions lists
US	Designated individuals and companies, financial transactions, and exports or re-exports of restricted technology and equipment.	US Treasury (OFAC); US Commerce Department (BIS) for export controls.	OFAC sanctions search · US export screening list
UK	Sanctioned individuals, businesses and vessels; financial assets, trade in restricted goods and technology.	Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO); other departments administer specific restrictions.	UK Sanctions L

Category: World

What Happens When Putin’s Inner Circle Becomes Too Powerful?

Nov 06, 2026 12:08

People under sanctions

There are thousands of sanctioned Russian individuals associated with the government and military, oligarchs, and others who have played roles in supporting the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Mostly Russians, but also Belarusians and collaborating politicians, militants, and business figures in the Russian-occupied territories.

These extend from Russian leader Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin's core, like Sergei Shoigu, to the son of ousted dictator Viktor Yanukovich and business figures like Vladimir Bogdanov, who owns the Russian oil company Surgutneftegas.

The table below shows that there are differences between each body, with some applying sanctions against some individuals but not others, and in some cases lifting them.

Name	Reasons for sanctions	Sanctioning bodies	Date added	Status
Vladimir Putin	The Russian leader, sanctioned for ordering the invasion of Ukraine	EU · US · UK	Feb 25, 2022 (EU)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Sergey Lavrov	The Russian Foreign Minister, sanctioned due to his active support for the invasion	EU · US · UK	Feb 25, 2022 (US)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Valery Gerasimov	Russian Chief of the General Staff, sanctioned for coordinating the invasion	EU · US · UK	Apr 29, 2014 (EU)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Igor Girkin (Strelkov)	Former Russian commander in Donetsk, sanctioned for his role in the 2014 invasion of Ukraine and for serving as a military leader of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic	EU · US · UK	Jun 20, 2014 (US)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Roman Abramovich	Businessman and former Chelsea FC owner; sanctioned for benefiting from or supporting the Russian government through strategic businesses, including Evraz, and maintaining close links to Putin.	EU · UK	Mar 10, 2022 (UK)	EU: active UK: active
Alisher Usmanov	Billionaire businessman in the metals and telecommunications sectors, originally sanctioned by the EU for financially supporting and benefiting from Kremlin decision-makers and promoting pro-Kremlin narratives through his media interests.	EU · US · UK	Mar 3, 2022 (US)	EU: lifted US: active UK: active
Katerina Tikhonova	Putin’s daughter and tech executive, sanctioned because her work supports the Russian state and defense industry.	EU · US · UK	Apr 6, 2022 (US)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Galina Danilchenko	Russian-installed official in occupied Melitopol, sanctioned for legitimizing the occupation.	EU · US · UK	Mar 24, 2022 (UK)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Maria Lvova-Belova	Children’s commissioner, sanctioned for her role in the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.	EU · US · UK	Jun 16, 2022 (UK)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Patriarch Kirill	Head of the Russian Orthodox Church, sanctioned for endorsing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.	UK	Jun 16, 2022 (UK)	UK: active
Vladimir Solovyov	State television presenter and propagandist, sanctioned for spreading pro-invasion propaganda.	EU · UK	Feb 23, 2022 (EU)	EU: active UK: active
Margarita Simonyan	RT editor-in-chief, sanctioned for promoting the invasion and annexation of parts of Ukraine via her channel.	EU · US · UK	Feb 23, 2022 (EU)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Konstantin Ernst	CEO of Channel One, sanctioned for using the channel for anti-Ukrainian propaganda.	EU · UK	Mar 15, 2022 (EU)	EU: active UK: active
Aleksandr Dugin	Political ideologue/commentator, sanctioned for providing ideological justifications for the invasion of Ukraine.	EU · US · UK	Oct 6, 2022 (EU)	EU: active US: active UK: active
Graham Phillips	British pro-Russian blogger, sanctioned for promoting Russian propaganda (and is accused of war crimes).	EU · UK	Jul 26, 2022 (UK)	EU: active UK: active
Ramil Badgutdinov	Director of a defense-component manufacturer, sanctioned for producing components for Iskander-M missiles used in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.	EU	Aug 7, 2026 (EU)	EU: active
Dmitry Chudovsky	Logistics executive, sanctioned due to his company’s involvement in sanctions circumvention.	EU	Oct 15, 2026 (EU)	EU: active
Svetlana Gumenyuk	Founder and director of a payment intermediary, sanctioned for facilitating transactions to and from Russia in violation of sanctions.	EU	Oct 15, 2026 (EU)	EU: active
Oleg Tinkov	Founder of Tinkoff Bank, originally sanctioned by the UK for benefiting from or supporting the Russian government through ownership and leadership of Tinkoff Bank, a strategically important financial institution.	UK (former)	Mar 24, 2022 (UK)	UK: lifted (Jul 20 2023)
Arkady Volozh	Yandex co-founder, originally sanctioned by the EU over Yandex's promotion of state narratives, suppression of critical search results, and economic support for the Russian government.	EU (former)	3 Jun, 2022 (EU)	EU: lifted (Mar 14 2024)
Lev Khasis	Former first deputy chairman of Sberbank, originally sanctioned by the UK for serving as a senior executive of state-controlled Sberbank, a strategically important financial institution supporting the Russian government.	UK (former)	24 Mar, 2022 (UK)	UK: lifted (Jul 6 2023)
Farkhad Akhmedov	Energy-sector businessman, originally sanctioned by the EU for Kremlin links and involvement in Russia's strategic energy sector, which generated substantial government revenue.	EU (former) · UK (former)	13 Apr, 2022 (UK)	EU: lifted (Sep 2023) UK: lifted (Mar 19 2025)
Alexander Shulgin	Former CEO of Ozon, originally sanctioned by the EU over his attendance at a Kremlin meeting with Putin and leadership of Ozon. The UK maintains sanctions based on his executive role in Russia's strategic technology sector.	EU (former) · UK	13 Apr, 2022 (UK)	EU: lifted (Sep 2023) UK: active

Category: World

A Prisoner for an Oligarch? Foreigners Become Russia’s Bargaining Chips to Dodge Sanctions

Oct 02, 2026 16:16

Companies and banks under sanctions

Sanctions on Russian banks and companies have significantly impacted Russia’s economy, and many of them have been applied to those who contribute directly or financially to Russia’s war effort.

For banks, they restrict access to Western financial markets, payment infrastructure, and assets. Regarding major state companies or private companies, these sanctions focus on exports, transactions, technologies, and assets in some cases. The list below focuses on Russian bank sanctions, state-affiliated and private sanctioned Russian companies, excluding the energy sector.

Entity	Sector	Sanctioning bodies	What the sanction restricts	Status
BANKS/FINANCE: Sberbank	Banking	EU US UK	SWIFT/transaction restrictions, asset freezes or equivalent financial restrictions, limits on dealings and financing.	Active
VTB Bank	Banking	EU US UK	SWIFT/transaction restrictions, asset freezes or equivalent financial restrictions, limits on financial dealings.	Active
Promsvyazbank	Banking/defence finance	EU US UK	Financial restrictions, asset freezes, restrictions on dealings and payments.	Active
VEB.RF	State development bank	EU US UK	Financial sanctions, restrictions on financing and transactions, asset freezes or equivalent restrictions.	Active
Rosselkhozbank	Banking	EU US UK	SWIFT/transaction restrictions, financial restrictions, limits on dealings. US sanctions are sectoral and do not impose a comprehensive asset freeze.	Active
Bank Rossiya	Banking	EU US UK	Financial sanctions, asset freezes or equivalent restrictions, limits on transactions.	Active
Sovcombank	Private banking	EU US UK	Financial sanctions, asset freezes or equivalent restrictions, transaction limits.	Active
Alfa-Bank	Private banking	EU US UK	Financial sanctions, transaction restrictions, asset freezes or equivalent restrictions.	Active
STATE COMPANIES: Rostec	Defence conglomerate	EU US UK	Asset freezes or equivalent restrictions, export controls, restrictions on trade and technology access.	Active
Almaz-Antey	Air defence/missile systems	EU US UK	Asset freezes or equivalent restrictions, trade and export restrictions, technology controls.	Active
Uralvagonzavod	Armoured vehicles/tank manufacturing	EU US UK	Restrictions on financing, trade, technology and dealings with the company.	Active
Kalashnikov Concern	Small arms/defence manufacturing	EU US UK	Restrictions on transactions, exports, defence-related dealings and access to Western goods/technology.	Active
Kurganmashzavod	Armoured vehicle manufacturing	EU US UK	Restrictions on dealings, financing, trade and technology supply.	Active
PRIVATE COMPANIES/GROUPS: Severstal	Steel	US UK	Asset freezes or equivalent restrictions, limits on financial and commercial dealings.	Active
MMK (Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works)	Steel	US UK	Asset freezes or equivalent restrictions, restrictions on dealings and finance.	Active
Polyus	Gold mining	EU US UK	Asset freezes or equivalent restrictions, restrictions on financing and commercial transactions.	Active
AFK Sistema	Private conglomerate/telecoms/tech investments	US UK	Asset freezes or equivalent restrictions, limits on transactions and access to services.	Active

Russian leader Vladimir Putin (R) receives information from Sberbank CEO German Gref (L) at the conference on artificial intelligence called 'AI Journey' organized by Sberbank in Moscow, Russia on November 19, 2025. (Photo by Kremlin Press Service via Getty Images)

Aviation and transport under sanctions

In February-march 2022, the EU, UK, and US closed their airspace to Russian aircraft, meaning they could not operate from or fly within them. Additional airline sanctions target aircraft leasing, spare parts, maintenance, insurance, and dual-use aviation parts. As Russian airlines relied on many Western parts, this has significantly impacted their ability to function, though they do use intermediaries to get around sanctions.

Entity/measure	Sector	Sanctioning bodies	What the sanction restricts	Status
Russian airlines generally	Commercial aviation	EU · US · UK	Entry into or overflight of EU, US and UK airspace, subject to exceptions.	Active
Aeroflot	Flagship airline	EU · US · UK	Airspace bans; US export restrictions on aircraft, parts and services; additional UK financial sanctions.	Active
Rossiya Airlines	Aeroflot subsidiary	EU · US · UK	Airspace bans; US restrictions on aviation exports and aircraft servicing; UK financial sanctions.	Active
S7 Airlines	Private airline	EU · US · UK	Airspace bans; US export restrictions, including a temporary denial order.	Active
Ural Airlines	Private airline	EU · US · UK	Airspace bans; US export restrictions and UK financial sanctions.	Active
Aircraft leasing and sales	Aviation finance	EU · US · UK	Restrictions on supplying or leasing aircraft to Russia, alongside related export and financial controls.	Active
Aircraft parts and maintenance	Aviation services	EU · US · UK	Restrictions on aviation technology, spare parts, technical assistance and servicing, according to each jurisdiction's rules.	Active

Russian leader Vladimir Putin (L) meets with Aeroflot CEO Sergei Aleksandrovsky at the Kremlin in Moscow on April 7, 2025. (Photo by Vyacheslav Prokofyev via Getty Images)

Energy, oil and shipping

Oil and gas sanctions, along with shipping sanctions, are a major way to impact Russia’s wealth, as the Russian economy relies on energy exports. While energy exports to Europe and the USA have continued, levels have dropped significantly due to the dependency, and the effects on Russia’s economy have been major. Below is a list of key sanctions related to energy, oil, and shipping.

Entity/measure	Sector	Sanctioning bodies	What the sanction restricts	Status
OIL AND GAS COMPANIES
Rosneft	State-controlled oil	EU · US · UK	EU transaction ban; US/UK asset freezes and restrictions on financial dealings.	Active
Lukoil	Private oil and gas	US · UK	US/UK asset freezes and transaction prohibitions, subject to licences. EU sector-wide restrictions also apply.	Active
Gazprom Neft	State-controlled oil	EU · US · UK	EU transaction ban; US/UK asset freezes and restrictions on financing and commercial dealings.	Active
Surgutneftegas	Oil and gas production	EU · US · UK	Asset freezes and prohibitions on providing funds or economic resources to the company.	Active
Transneft	Oil pipelines	EU · US · UK	EU transaction ban; US debt/equity restrictions; UK asset freeze.	Active
Arctic LNG 2	Liquefied natural gas	EU (project restrictions) · US · UK	US/UK asset freezes targeting the project company; EU investment, technology and service restrictions affecting LNG projects.	Active
SHIPPING AND MARITIME INSURANCE
Sovcomflot	State-owned shipping	EU · US · UK	Asset freezes, financial restrictions and prohibitions on dealings with the company; additional restrictions on designated vessels.	Active
Maritime Mutual Insurance Association (NZ) Ltd	Maritime insurance	UK	Asset freeze, trust-services restrictions and director disqualification sanctions.	Active
SECTOR-WIDE MEASURES
Russian crude oil price cap	Oil exports	EU · US · UK	Restricts covered Western maritime services for above-cap crude: EU/UK $44.10 per barrel; US $60.	Active
Marine insurance and reinsurance restrictions	Maritime services	EU · US · UK	Restricts covered insurance, reinsurance and associated services for Russian oil transported above the applicable cap, subject to exceptions.	Active

Russia's leader Vladimir Putin (R) speaks with Russia's energy giant Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller as they visit the Lakhta Centre skyscraper, the headquarters of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom in Saint Petersburg on June 5, 2024. (Photo by Alexandre Zholobov via Getty Images)

How to check if someone is sanctioned

Sanctions lists change, and as noted, thousands of individuals and companies have been sanctioned. However, you can check if someone is sanctioned in databases. First, access one or more of the following sites:

Enter the name of the person, government, nationality, or entity. For example, Vladimir Putin.

Screenshot of the EU Sanctions tracker — Official sanctions lists are online and free, and can be explored relatively easily. (Source: data.europa.eu)

Screenshot of Putin's listing on the EU sanctions list — After searching, you can see the names and details. (Source: data.europa.eu)

Screenshot of the SDN list — We also see Putin on the SDN list; the interface isn't as simple, as it has more search parameters, but you can still search keywords. (Source: sanctionssearch.ofac)

Screenshot of the UK sanctions list — The UK sanctions list is also easy to navigate. (Source: sanctionssearch.ofac)

We can see he is under the EU sanctions regime. Similarly, if we check the same on the US OFAC list, Putin is also present.

We also see him on the UK list when we enter his name in the search function.

Discuss this article:

PERPLEXITY CHATGPT CLAUDE GEMINI

In a Nutshell

Sanctions can be lifted. One recent example is that two sanctioned Russian oligarchs were removed from the EU list. Often, individuals appeal in court to get sanctions overturned. In this case, the French and Slovak governments pushed to remove them from the list.
The SDN list is the US sanctions list. You can access it publicly and check who is on it, from individuals to companies and regimes.
The oil price cap limits export revenues without removing Russian oil from the global market. Companies cannot provide financial services, insurance, or shipping to vessels transporting oil above the limit. As of October 2026, the EU and UK cap is $44.10 per barrel, while the US maintains a $60 cap. Russia can still export oil using services outside the participating jurisdictions, subject to other applicable sanctions.
Not by being a Russian athlete or celebrity alone. However, there have been some cases where they have supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. For example, musician SHAMAN is under Ukrainian and EU sanctions. This is because he has gone to the front lines to support soldiers and makes his events explicitly pro-government and pro-war. Ukraine has sanctioned individual athletes, and the EU and other countries have previously barred Russians and Belarusians from participating in sporting events, though some of these restrictions were lifted.
When major events occur, such as new sanctions being applied to key individuals or companies, or lifted, this page will be updated. As the sanctions lists are extensive, some of those in the tables may change.

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